AIMS DATA CENTRE SDN BHD

The two time award winner is living up to its name and reputation via new certifications and investments

AIMS: Data Service Provider of the Year

Writer: Matthew Staff

Project Manager: Donovan Smith

AIMS continues to thrive as Malaysia’s leading carrier neutral data centre operator and managed services provider, capitalising on its role as one of TIME dotcom Berhad’s most significant subsidiaries to enjoy a strong performance in 2015; achieving revenue growth of 20 percent to exceed the data centre industry average of 4.6 percent, according to Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDeC)’s 2015 revenue statistics.

Beginning life in 1990, the business has had to diversify, adapt, transform and rebuild over its 25-year history to reach its current, internationally-renowned status. Overcoming competitive sectors and ever-changing market demands, it is in the arena of data centres where it has conquered and expanded from ultimately.

Alongside its core data centre offering, exists an extensive range of managed IT services from procurement to the deployment of software and hardware, working closely alongside its ever-increasing range of international customers.

These customers benefit from AIMS’ turnkey services across cloud technologies, content delivery, disaster recovery and carrier management to achieve an all-under-one-roof offering which looks set to reach an even more widespread demographic of both carrier and enterprise customers in the future.

Healthy growth

In mid-2015, the most recent change was seen among its target market, adding an enterprise element to the existing carrier demographic traditionally benefitting from the AIMS offering. With a 90 percent market saturation of the latter market in Malaysia, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Chiew Kok Hin is confident that similar success could be replicated in the enterprise domain, albeit with a slightly altered service.

“We went into the enterprise market 18 months ago with the same commitment and expertise we have exercised within the carrier industry,” the CEO said. “In the past 18 months we have learnt a lot in terms of adjustments that we need to make for enterprise customers.

“We now have all the certifications needed to ensure we are able to meet their market and regulatory needs and this has resulted in a healthy growth in this segment.”

Looking forward, the enterprise sector is a key area in which AIMS intends to grow in the future, once again proving itself as a dynamic and proactive business in what is still a relatively young, but competitive data centre market.

Supported by its ongoing expertise in internet services and advanced technologies, as well as its continuous TIME dotcom backing, the business is in a better position than ever to also expand further internationally; the likes of Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam and Myanmar all potential regions in which to replicate its success.

Chiew concluded: “This year, we will concentrate on embarking on these strategies and we have the necessary tools and resources to go deeper into the enterprise segment.

“The message we always want to send to customers across every segment is simple; we know what you need, just leave it in our hands.”

Acclaimed certification

The attainment of key certifications is exactly what’s occurred in the intervening 12 months, with Southeast Asia’s leading carrier-neutral data services provider recently announcing that it has achieved the international ISO/IEC 20000-1:2011 certification on IT Service Management System (ITSM) from the British Standards Institution (BSI).

“AIMS would like to take this opportunity to thank Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) for helping facilitate and subsidise this certification process that enables us to provide our customers with internationally certified business standards.”

ISO 20000 is a highly respected international IT Service Management standard that promotes an integrated process approach to effectively deliver services to meet business and customer requirements, and it is also the global de facto standard for IT Services.

The certification was awarded to AIMS after an extensive audit by BSI Services Malaysia, a leading certification body training and business improvement provider.

Uniquely capable

Following this certification, AIMS has also become the first data centre in Asia-Pacific to partner with Network Infrastructure Inventory Inc. (Ni2) to provide customers with IT Service Management (ITSM), Operational Support Systems (OSS), and Data Centre Infrastructure Management (DCIM) capabilities in one platform.

“We chose Ni2 as they are the only vendor that is uniquely capable of offering ITSM-DCIM-OSS capabilities under one single platform. This is an important aspect for customers; especially in the financial, oil & gas and telecommunications sectors, who are looking to outsource their infrastructure and data centre facilities to companies like AIMS,” explains Chiew. “With the Ni2 platform in place, AIMS will be able to provide faster and more efficient services for our customers.

“This investment is part of AIMS’ constant mission to provide a world-class service for our customers while continuing to deliver or even exceed our customers’ expected level of service.”

“We are very happy to have been chosen by AIMS as its ITSM-DCIM-OSS platform provider of choice. We are also very excited to partner with the fastest growing IT service provider in the APAC region,” says Joseph Hatchuel, Ni2 CEO.

Best service

Such certifications and service quality within the industry has often resulted in an award-winning culture across the business, and 2016 has been no different following the recent announcement of AIMS as this year’s ‘Data Centre Services Provider of the Year’ by Frost & Sullivan. The Frost & Sullivan Malaysian Excellence Awards is held annually to recognise outstanding organisations in Malaysia who have exceeded their industry expectations., and AIMS had won the same award in 2014.

The award places emphasis on areas such as leadership, technological innovation, customer service and strategic product development.

“We are honoured to once again be named Frost & Sullivan ‘Data Centre Services Provider of the Year’,” Chiew concludes. “This exemplifies AIMS’ commitment to provide the best service for its customers across the region.

“With our new investments and ISO/IEC 20000-1:2011 certification, AIMS is set to further enhance the standards of the data centre industry in Malaysia.”